Cisco Linksys Linksys Router Scam Irvine, California

I purchased a new AT&T modem to replace a defective older model 17 December 2010. Upon replacement the Linksys Model WRT54G would not connect or function. My daughter called Linksys and was told the model was over a year old and no longer under warranty and she would have to pay for tech support. I called the following day and spoke with Simon. He said he had to see if the my Linksys was damaged. He walked me thru step by step and I was connected to the internet via the router. I said I had a laptop and that needed to be configured. He said to hand over the control of the computer to him. I complied and he made some changes to the computer and said he needed to check with his supervisor about the router. When he returned he said I would need to have some software e.g. drivers, and computer optimization that would increase and make my computer safe from outside interference. I told him that once I was connected, as I was, that was sufficient for me. He then argued I had to have the computer optimization and I would be charged $199.00 for this operation. I was skeptical and knew everything before the replacement of the AT&T modem functioned just fine. When I appeared more reluctant, he suddenly began to erase all the settings, passwords, and necessary information needed to connect to the internet via the router. I asked him why and he said my Linksys was not under warranty and he could only offer the $199.00 computer optimization. He had told me nothing was wrong with my present Linksys but I had to have the computer optimization and with that all information and my connection to the internet was erased and disconnected. This selfish act of revenge and a scam to sell a product unfamiliar to me, is certainly not good business and should be investigated and discontinued. Are there no laws to protect seniors from unscrupulous computer criminals that are taking advantage of our unfamiliarity and naivety of computers? Ethics obviously did not prevail here. Merry Christmas from Cisco and so called good customer relations.